President Barack Obama says his “expectation” is that a partial shutdown at the Federal Aviation Administration will be resolved this week.

The crisis at the FAA, which started July 23, has put 75,000 people out of work, stalled construction projects across the country and has forced safety inspectors to cover their own travel expenses while working without pay.

Congress left town for its August recess Tuesday without passing temporary financing for the agency, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other top Democrats are pushing House Speaker John Boehner to pass a temporary clean measure by unanimous consent, an option because both chambers are in a “pro forma” session.

“I again say, Speaker Boehner, stop this nonsense,” Reid said.

Senate Democrats blocked a short-term FAA bill already passed by the House because it includes a GOP provision cutting subsidies for rural airports. And a long-term House bill has been tied up over a labor dispute.

Republicans are pointing to remarks Reid made to reporters Tuesday in which he was open to accepting the House version if Boehner didn’t act on a clean bill.

“The only reason 80,000 jobs are at stake is that Senate Democratic leaders chose to play politics rather than keep their word and pass the House bill,” Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said. “That’s indefensible, and they should end this crisis immediately.”

Top congressional Democrats on Wednesday ramped up the rhetoric in the standoff over funding, referring to Republicans as “hostage takers” no fewer than a dozen times and casting blame on them for the crisis.

“This is a made-up crisis. This is government by hostage taking,” Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), a senior member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said at a news conference.

In a heated exchange with reporters, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, who heads policy and messaging for Senate Democrats, continued the hostage metaphor.

“The issue is not essential air service, it’s not even a labor issue. It’s the issue of hostage taking,” he said. “It’s as if someone puts a gun to your head and says, ‘Give me your money,’ and then you say, ‘Why won’t you give them your money?’”